Labour minister declares first child labour-free zone in three farming communities

Dr. Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, has declared three cocoa farming communities in the Atwima Mponua and Bibiani Anwiaso Bekwai Districts in the Ashanti and Western North Regions as Ghana’s first Child Labour-Free Zones.

The communities are Kuffuor Camp, Subri. Speaking at the ceremony, the sector Minister said the initiative was a community-driven approach to eliminate child labour.

He noted that the initiative was not only practical, but effective in eliminating child labour in our communities where children are used to produce cocoa for sale adding that when government and partners work together, they can make progress.

Dr. Pelpuo described the Child Labour-Free Zone as a bold step and a model that can drastically reduce child labour. According to him, assessment results showed Subri scored 77.7% and Kuffuor Camp scored 83.62%, earning them Grade B status. He said the “umbrella cover” approach will be used to achieve the objective across more communities.

He expressed appreciation to the Government of Japan for financial and logistical support in protecting children, and commended them for their enduring efforts. The Minister noted that the milestone is a testament to the power of partnership and advocated for learning from the existing findings from the assessment.

He said the model had demonstrated measurable results and reiterated that children are our hope and must be removed from the farms. Dr. Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister, said safeguarding the rights and dignity of Ghanaian children required the collaboration of communities, parents, and chiefs.

He commended the sector Minister, Japan Embassy and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for their unwavering efforts in spearheading the event and called on opinion leaders and stakeholders to champion the fight against child labour to promote quality education and child health in the three communities.

He entreated stakeholders, parents and guardians to protect and preserve every child’s safety and welfare together.

Mr. Sebastian Obeng, Municipal Chief Executive for Bibiani Anwiaso Bekwai, speaking on behalf of the Western North Regional Minister, said every child deserves to live, be protected, and be educated. He stated that the fight against child labour cannot be won by government alone and pleaded with Religious and traditional leaders, teachers, and all stakeholders to advocate for child rights.

He stated that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) will collaborate with opinion leaders and traditional authorities to fight child labour because investing in our children is investing in our future.

A representative of Oheneba Nana Kwame Akoto, the Nkawiehene commended CRADA and JICA for educating farmers on the need to move children from the streets and farms to school to enhance their future aspirations.

He urged the organizations not to relent in their education efforts for parents and children.

He also cautioned residents against indiscriminate refuse dumping, which contributes to flooding. He urged students to be educated on responsible waste disposal and called on chiefs to stop selling wetlands to developers and cautioned government officials to stop issuing permits for such lands.

Mr Mitori from the Japanese Embassy said children are the foundation of every nation’s development and deserve to live in safety and attend school.

According to him, addressing child labour is not easy because it involves practice and understanding in society and that parents and guardians need to work together to achieve this goal.

Mr Uchiyama Takayuki from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) commended the Government of Ghana and the sector Ministry for the remarkable achievement.

He recalled that since 2018, JICA has supported action against the worst forms of child labour and efforts to strengthen the implementation framework. He called on development partners and civil society organizations to continue partnering toward the elimination of child labour to ensure that all children’s rights are protected and receive education for their future well-being.